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Lackawanna County sheriff says 2025 budget "not feasible," warns scheduling change could increase overtime
Summary
Sheriff Mark McAndrew told the salary board he cannot meet his office's 2025 budget under current staffing and duties; he warned a proposed scheduling change recommended by outside consultant PFM could increase overtime and said he will try a three-month schedule trial but does not expect it to succeed.
Sheriff Mark McAndrew told the Lackawanna County Salary Board that his office cannot meet the parameters of the proposed 2025 budget given expanded duties and staffing demands.
McAndrew described an expansion over the past five years that added responsibility for five buildings plus a juvenile detention center, domestic relations warrants, security for magistrate offices and coverage of multiple public events. "This budget is not feasible. It's not doable," he said. McAndrew said a proposed schedule change to a seven-day work week had been tried previously and failed; he said a three-month trial will be attempted but he does not expect it to work.
Commissioners said they want to implement recommendations by PFM, a consulting firm hired to identify savings. A commissioner noted the county had cut $750,000 in overtime and asked the sheriff to work with PFM on implementing changes. McAndrew said the scheduling change would likely open more overtime opportunities because staff would use benefits or sign up for overtime on scheduled days off. "When they're scheduled to work on the weekends, they're gonna use their benefit time...and then their scheduled days off, they're gonna sign up for overtime, and they're gonna slam you in overtime," he said.
McAndrew made a motion to accept the salaries for his office as presented in the 2025 budget; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. He and commissioners agreed to meet with PFM and review its recommendations further, with McAndrew saying he would report back after the trial period.
The transcript records the sheriff's objections and the board's approval of his office's salary request, but it does not include an itemized budget or a roll-call vote tally for the motion.
